‘Zionists In Israel, RSS In India Twin Brothers’: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Slams Release Of Stamps, Coins

Thiruvananthapuram: As the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) holds its centenary celebrations, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan compared the Sangh to Zionists in Israel. Addressing a public meeting in Kannur on Wednesday, Vijayan said, "Zionists in Israel and RSS in India are twin brothers."

He also slammed the Centre for releasing a commemorative postal stamp and coin on the centenary of the RSS. Vijayan said that Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindutva extremist because he refused to compromise on secularism and democracy.

In a post on X on Gandhi Jayanti, the Kerala CM wrote, “ On #GandhiJayanti, we remember the Father of our Nation, who laid down his life for democracy & secularism. Today, divisive forces seek to undermine our Constitution and the values it enshrines. Gandhiji’s memory will forever inspire our fight for unity, equality & justice”.

Pinarayi Vijayan, in a separate post in Malayalam on Facebook, said that Gandhi and his ideals stood as an obstacle to divisive politics and communal ideologies, which provoked the communalists. “It was after Gandhi’s assassination that the RSS was banned. Yet, on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, the Central government released a postal stamp and coin to mark RSS’s centenary. This is an insult to the Constitution itself,” Kerala CM said.

He further said that choosing Gandhi Jayanti’s eve for such a move shows that the Sangh Parivar fears even the memory of Gandhi. “It legitimises an organisation that abstained from the freedom struggle, promoting a divisive ideology that aligned with the colonial strategy. This national honour is a direct assault on the memory of our true freedom fighters and the secular, unified India they envisioned,” Vijayan added.

“The RSS’s politics, which thrives on creating social divisions, is the exact opposite of the humane politics that Gandhi advocated. Our resistance against those who divide society will always draw strength from Gandhi’s memory. Gandhi Jayanti greetings to all,” wrote the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Wednesday termed the release of a postage stamp and a coin to commemorate the centenary of the RSS a "grave injury and insult" to the Constitution, which the Sangh "never accepted".

In a statement, the Politburo of the CPI(M) said it is highly objectionable that an official coin should replicate the 'Bharat Mata' image of a Hindu goddess promoted by the RSS, adding that the postage stamp showing uniformed RSS volunteers at the 1963 Republic Day parade also falsifies history.

"The release of a postage stamp and a 100 rupee coin by the Prime Minister to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the RSS is a grave injury and insult to the Constitution of India, which the RSS has never accepted," the party said.

"It is highly objectionable that an official coin should replicate the 'Bharat Mata' image of a Hindu goddess promoted by the RSS as a symbol of its sectarian concept of a Hindutva Rashtra," it said. Party General Secretary MA Baby said that releasing a coin and stamp to "glorify the RSS is an insult to the Constitution and an attempt to erase its (RSS) divisive past and whitewash history".

Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the special postage stamp and the commemorative coin to mark the centenary celebrations of the RSS. The coin also has the RSS motto "Rashtray Swaha, Idam Rashtraya, Idam Na Mama”, which translates to "Everything is dedicated to the nation, Everything is the nation's, Nothing is mine".

The postal stamp features RSS swayamsevaks' participation in the 1963 Republic Day Parade, underlining the organisation's historic contributions.

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